New York (PTI): UN attack helicopters have mounted reconnaissance flights and "are poised to respond to any and all eventualities" in the eastern Congo after rebel forces violated a ceasefire and seized a number of localities in some of the worst fighting in more than a week, the world body said.

Strongly condemning the latest violation of the ceasefire by the rebel National Congress for the Defence of the People, known by its French acronym CNDP and led by renegade general Laurent Nkunda, the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) called on the warring parties to uphold the ceasefire and give the ongoing political process a chance to succeed.

MONUC said it would support humanitarian organizations in relocating 60,000 displaced people in North Kivu province, now under fire, away from the frontline in Kibati to Mugungu III camp for their security and enhanced relief.

Kibati is 10 kilometres north of Goma, the provincial capital and just below rebel lines. It would be especially vulnerable should the rebels advance on the city.

MONUC has also deployed a civilian team to Kiwanja to evaluate the situation and facilitate communication between the population and MONUC. Some 250,000 people are estimated to have been uprooted since August in the latest wave of fighting, adding to the hundreds of thousands already driven from their homes in earlier bouts.

"In the field of the assistance the humanitarians continue to organize and reinforce their intervention capacities," MONUC said. Along with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) received food and non-food products by air from the regional warehouse in Tanzania, and by road from Entebbe in Uganda. The distribution is being carried out in the six camps around Goma and in other centres, the World body said.